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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — temperature
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. branch — a division
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. cap — a hat
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — clever
  16. degree — an amount
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cap — of ice
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lie — to recline
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. temple — side of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com